# 494
Chapter 494 – Story Hour
“Cough, cough, cough…”
Shen Qingzhu rose from the wrecked room, coughed hard, waved away the swirling dust, and looked out the window again.
A moment ago, that sword falling from the sky had split the entire courtyard in two. Fortunately, Shen Qingzhu was on ground level; the sword-qi aftershock wasn’t too strong here. Even so, the outer walls were now veined with cobweb cracks.
The sight made him break into a cold sweat.
A casual slash from the sky could do this?
If the blade had veered slightly, he’d have been diced before he could react.
He drew a deep breath and thought quickly.
He’d clearly seen the dog transform into an earth-dragon and soar upward. If he was right, that was the mysterious First Seat of the Believers—the one who had tunneled beneath the manor and smuggled the altar back from abroad.
He hadn’t expected the legendary First Seat to hide all this time as a dog in the estate.
Thank heavens he’d stayed cautious and hadn’t tried anything sneaky; otherwise his cover would’ve been blown and he’d have been dragged out to feed the dog.
Yiyu’s aura had also flashed above the clouds. So now the First Seat and Yiyu were joining forces against the Sword Saint?
No… that wasn’t a fight—
more like the two of them trying to run for their lives.
Which meant only the remaining Believers were left in the manor?
A glimmer flickered in Shen Qingzhu’s eyes.
“Bzzzzzt…”
From the ruined room behind him came a faint crackle of electricity, jarring in the sudden quiet.
Frowning, he turned. In the corner, an ancient push-button radio—covered in dust for who knew how long—had switched itself on.
“Bzzzt… today’s high… bzzzt… Lintang City Radio reminds every driver: don’t drink and drive… bzzzzzt…”
The set jumped randomly between stations.
Eyes narrowing, Shen Qingzhu walked toward it.
“Shen, you’re still here?” a voice barked from the doorway.
He stopped and looked over. Twelfth Seat stood there, eyeing him coldly.
Glancing at the radio, the man sneered, “No wonder Lord Yiyu favors you. The altar’s been chopped to kindling and you’re calmly listening to dramas? How unshakable…”
“Your business?” Shen Qingzhu said flatly. “Show some respect to a senior. Call me ‘Shen’ again and I’ll tear your mouth open.”
“Hmph.”
Contempt flashed in Twelfth Seat’s eyes. “We’re both ‘Sea’ realm. Who tears whom isn’t settled.
If I’d arrived a little earlier, I’d be Tenth Seat, not you.”
“Really?”
Shen Qingzhu’s eyes narrowed; an odd light glinted. He stepped forward, closing the distance.
With Yiyu and First Seat gone and the estate in chaos, it was the perfect moment to fish in troubled waters.
His peripheral vision swept the corridor—only the two of them…
Thumb and middle finger of his right hand pressed together silently.
He was about to snap when the radio’s volume suddenly spiked, a deep magnetic male voice rolling out:
“…Welcome to today’s Lintang Story Hour.
Last time: undercover agent ‘Cool Guy’ lived under a false name behind enemy lines. Finding a chance to assassinate a villain, he was forced to stop—
because instinct told him a woman was rushing toward the corner of the corridor:
Deputy Chief of the Villain Action Division, nicknamed the Red-Qipao Granny with the Folding-Fan… Li Goudan!”
The narrator’s tone clearly stumbled over the final three words.
The moment he heard the story, Shen Qingzhu’s mighty frame shook; the finger poised to snap froze.
He glanced at the radio, bewildered—
At that exact moment, from the far end of the corridor, Seventh Seat appeared—red qipao, folding fan—striding their way.
Seeing Shen Qingzhu and Twelfth Seat at the door, she frowned.
“What are you two doing?”
“We…” Twelfth Seat looked awkward.
“We were hurt by the sword-qi backlash; we’ve only just recovered,” Shen Qingzhu answered calmly.
Outwardly unshaken, his back was slick with cold sweat.
If he’d attacked Twelfth Seat, even with an instant kill, Seventh Seat would’ve caught him red-handed. He’d never expected her to appear now—
That radio…
He glanced at the corner, a wild idea forming.
Seventh Seat snorted. “This isn’t time to ‘recuperate.’ With Lord Yiyu and First Seat away and Third Seat unconscious, I’m in command.
A few rats slipped in—not strong. Ninth Seat is already hunting them. You two haven’t reached ‘Boundless’; pair up and flush them out.”
Twelfth Seat shot Shen Qingzhu an unhappy look but nodded.
Shen Qingzhu’s brows lifted slightly.
In the empty room the mellow voice droned on:
“…Agent Cool Guy remembered the explosives he’d planted on the dance-hall balcony; his goal was to lure Li Goudan upstairs and leave the rest to fate…”
Shen Qingzhu’s mouth twitched.
Seventh and Twelfth Seats heard it too. She glanced at the radio and snapped,
“Listening to spy dramas at a time like this? Move!”
Before Twelfth Seat could speak, Shen Qingzhu cut in, “We’ll take the ground floor and basement.”
Seventh Seat nodded. “I’ll sweep the second and third. Hurry.”
She flashed away in a red blur.
With her gone, Twelfth Seat relaxed, disgust openly on his face as he turned away.
Shen Qingzhu walked back, picked up the old radio, and followed.
“Scram. I can manage alone,” Twelfth Seat growled. “I don’t want to see you.”
Radio in hand, Shen Qingzhu smiled faintly.
“Walking alone is dangerous; I worry about you…”